Forums/Z31P/z31-performance-upgrade-forums suspension-chassis-and-brakes/S13 Steering Rack Bushings
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300zxturboftw: (2013-03-31 19:20:30)
Work on our power steering racks - right?
http://www.frsport.com/Energy-Suspen…ED_p_1386.html
says 90-96 300zx, but I think someone has confirmed they also work for our cars?
Switchback Motions: (2013-03-31 20:24:04)
As long as you use the wide (15/16" iirc) brackets.
300zxturboftw: (2013-03-31 20:49:33)
Pretend I'm an idiot (I haven't done much with the power steering). You are saying the brackets as in the cups that bolt around the bushings and hold the power steering in?
shromy: (2013-03-31 20:54:42)
Yes.........................
300zxturboftw: (2013-03-31 20:56:07)
Thank you..............................(damn message length). I'll have to go out and measure.
shromy: (2013-03-31 21:15:08)
yw................... Yeah i thought he was fixing that last week. All in due time I guess.
i r teh noobz: (2013-03-31 22:06:37)
I couldn't get my set to fit properly.
G-E: (2013-03-31 22:25:11)
Our racks are thicker by several mm than the s-chassis and skyline racks, I can't imagine the z32's would fit
300zxturboftw: (2013-03-31 23:19:33)
Is there a set made for our cars then? I need it badly as my car even after alignment pulls slightly right.
Edit: Gary still selling them apparently. http://www.garymolitor.com/300zx/MFP.htm
shromy: (2013-04-01 00:40:39)
Tire could be the cause of the pull.
Careless: (2013-04-01 01:33:57)
someone confirmed the S13 ones with the little rubber nubs on them fit.
also, if you don't have a wide bracket, you can just weld a strip of metal on the one you do have if no one wants to donate a wide bracket to you.
NissanXRMA: (2013-04-01 01:40:20)
Yep. I run s13 energy steering rack bushings. The other side had material added as well.
Axel kain: (2013-04-01 04:30:43)
I put a set of those on a M30 (same rack as us) and the passenger (round) bushing was too small. even so, owner (boss) said to tighten it down and lets see what it does! heck of alot better than the junk/rotton/missing rubber mess!
Butter: (2013-04-01 05:29:23)
These bushings are HORRIBLE.
Urethane is not a good material for gripping a steering rack. After first 2 runs, steering wheel was off 90*! Removed bushings and threw in the trash. The OEM rubber over steel is much better. Threw those back in, along with a steel key stock welded across the straps laterally. Then back to the store for another alignment.
P.1.M.P.: (2013-04-01 05:54:34)
Yes, I was the first to try them out. Worked good at first. Had the wider driver side bracket on too.
After awhile they did develop a slight bit of slop on my 86, but not to the extent of the stock bushings. Both sides slide in, with passanger side being snug. I did notice the drivers side being a tad small, which may have been the source of the slop.
If you insist on using them, do what butter suggests or nissanxrma has pictured to run them, or use the Z31 style that gary makes. Or buy the PBM solid ones…
Careless: (2013-04-01 05:58:01)
i can confirm that my MFP rack bushings, even with the right bracket, had about a 1/8 of play or so with the wheels on the ground.
i made a thread about it a long time ago. I think I fixed it though, so I never changed the bushings back. I can't remember what I did.
It wasn't an issue when I installed my 2nd rebuilt steering rack.
so it's not just the S13 urethane bushings. It seems like all of them have no squishy compliance to hug the brackets properly.
300zxturboftw: (2013-04-01 14:12:14)
Hmmm....thanks for the info guys, I'll have to look into a solution over the next few weeks. I haven't even visited the car in over a month since I brought the engine home.
MADMIKE: (2013-04-01 15:21:08)
Are you watching the rack move an 1/8th inch or are you talking steering wheel play
NissanXRMA: (2013-04-01 15:39:53)
Agreed that poly doesn't grip as rubber would. I need to weld lateral bars underneath the brackets. Good idea.
300zxturboftw: (2013-04-01 15:47:39)
Wouldn't you be able to just roughen up the surface on the Poly bushings somehow? Maybe I'll just get new rubber bushings.
1artworkz: (2013-04-01 16:44:45)
First read the instructions.
www.garymolitor.com/300zx/SRB-Information1.pdf
This will not work on the Z31
300zxturboftw: (2013-04-01 17:28:10)
So basically just find a 15/16" hold down bracket? Will the s13 one bolt down?
Butter: (2013-04-01 19:19:00)
BTW, that was after I widened the strap by building it up with weld. Also built up the inside to grip the bushings and get a tighter fit. Still didn't work.
Guys go ga-ga over getting poly EVERYTHING for their cars. This bushing is meant more to grip the rack, not dampen vibration.
P.1.M.P.: (2013-04-01 19:21:49)
Yes to the wider bracket. S13 drivers' side brackets are shorter if I recall, that's why the bushing is a bit smaller on that side.
NissanEgg: (2013-04-01 20:35:53)
Clean the poly and "degrease" it before putting it on, and clean the rack of gunk and PS fluid/oil. No problems what so ever from mine. Been on for 2 years and driven in anger around Road Atlanta and no movement from the rack.
gardner86zx: (2013-04-01 23:10:03)
i have had this problem with the poly and stock bushings.Every thing i have tryed did not stop it form moving. the stock ones where better than the poly but still not good . i ended up making solid mounts for the driverside and used the poly on the passenger side. then i glued them in with window weld.
[archived image: SSPX0050.jpg]
[archived image: SSPX0048.jpg]
[archived image: 20130401_183450_zps11f37ad8.jpg]
300zxturboftw: (2013-04-02 01:02:42)
My god, maybe I'll just see if i have any movement in my steering shaft and leave it how it is if not.
gardner86zx: (2013-04-02 01:56:10)
http://static.photobucket.com/player…4-17-37945.mp4
Stock bushings + wide bracket
Careless: (2013-04-02 04:28:16)
yeah there has to be something that will fix this.
with the poly bushings it's worse. that movement is not "squishy", it's more of a knock from side to side.
i guess urethane adhesive would work.
Careless: (2013-04-02 12:55:48)
stick your head under there and have someone tug on the wheel when they are on the ground, or see if you can peek at it from the top. guaranteed you'll see movement that you didn't know was there. maybe that means it doesn't matter- but I like bushings to act like bushings, personally. lol.
1artworkz: (2013-04-02 15:46:19)
We have discussed the issue of rack movement some time ago.
There was even a video of rack movement with OEM rubber bushings.
For those that missed it. Here are the installation instructions.
The steering rack bushings have been made from
custom molded PMC-790 urethane rubber with these
specifications; 90 Shore A hardness, 300 pli (pounds per
linear inch) tear strength and 600% elongation at break.
At the time of manufacturing a coating of silicon spray
mold release (friction reduction lubricant) is transferred
to the product. In addition, the mold surfaces are highly
polished.
This molding process produces a very glossy surface
with a micro bonded silicon surface lubricant. This
attribute is a plus for reducing unwanted sounds
sometimes produced by polyurethane parts when part
of a dynamic suspension system. The steering rack (SR)
housing assembly is not designed to move once installed.
The rubber bushings are present to reduce road surface
vibration felt by the drive through the steering wheel.
What you need to do before installing them:
You will need to physically clean and remove any residual
mold release compound from all contact
surfaces of the bushings. During this
cleaning process the SRB mating
surfaces will become scuffed
which promotes friction and
reduce the possibility of
unwanted movement of the SR housing
within the hold down clamps
3 Steps: In your set of SRB you will find an abrasive
pad. This pad, acetone and clean rags are the cleaning
tools required.
• Clean each of the bushing with a clean rag dipped in
acetone. Rotate the rag to a new area for each of the
bushing’s mounting surfaces. Once completed, repeat
the process.
• Using the supplied abrasive pad wetted with acetone,
scrub the inside/outside surfaces of the two ‘C’ clam shell
shaped parts and the same for the ‘split-O’ donut bushing.
• Lastly, clean the SR housing mounting surface and hold
down clamps as prescribed above.
A NOTE about the use of acetone. Read the
WARNINGS on the acetone container. Use only in an
open well ventilated area. Acetone is extremely
flammable with a flash point of -4 °F.
Visually inspect each of the surfaces to confirm that they
are de-glossed and lightly abraded.
Micro abraded mating surface, free of lubricants, oils,
grease and lose debris form a tighter bond through
increased surfaces adhesion.
At this point the bushings can be installed.
RECOMENDED
HOWEVER, for additional adhesion:
To prevent any movement at all; prior to
assembly, apply a liberal coating of a
moisture cure polyurethane adhesive to
all mating surfaces. 3M Windo-Weld and
Sikaflex 1A are this type of adhesive.
Remove any residual or excess adhesive with mineral
spirits. Other aggressive solvents may damage painted
surfaces or affect the curing of the adhesive.
Gregmatic: (2013-04-05 11:42:35)
I've got a writeup coming soon on how to remedy this situation. Will cost less than $25 and take a little bit of fab time. Really simple elegant solution to this, surprised somebody hadn't done it already.
Augustus Maximus: (2013-05-20 14:50:14)
When.
jaqattack02: (2013-05-20 19:38:07)
What he said. I need to do something about mine.
Gregmatic: (2013-06-03 16:57:54)
soooooooooooooon
frostvectron: (2013-06-03 18:09:36)
[archived image: GsE3k.jpg]
DeleriousZ: (2013-06-03 19:30:09)
Augustus Maximus: (2013-06-03 19:58:33)
Yeah…soon.
G-E: (2013-06-05 20:25:59)
He doesn't have the $25 obviously…
1artworkz: (2013-06-06 04:43:41)
[archived image: Soon.-Soon_7cae5f_4197753.jpg]
DeleriousZ: (2013-06-06 05:01:20)
Gary your image doesn't work for me.
Parker: (2013-06-06 13:16:46)
[archived image: Soon.-Soon_7cae5f_4197753.jpg]
DeleriousZ: (2013-06-06 13:54:17)
Weird man, still doesn't pop up for me on the forum, but if I copy the url it works. oh well!
jaqattack02: (2013-09-12 03:20:57)
So what ever happened to this?
Axel kain: (2013-09-12 03:34:31)
I have some S13/14/Z32 busings siting on my shelf, although not 100% fit on the round one, its better than none/busted crap. it's what I have on the M30…
Augustus Maximus: (2013-09-14 19:21:28)
S13 bushing is garbage on a Z31. Movement is bad, even with wide bracket.
Greg did post his fix in buried thread somewhere.
jaqattack02: (2015-01-19 18:28:46)
Just wanted to update, there's a guy on Facebook selling a Delrin bushing for the passenger side that gives a solid mounting and eliminates side to side movement of the rack.
reddzx: (2015-01-19 21:23:28)
Just wanted to update, there's a guy on Facebook selling a Delrin bushing for the passenger side that gives a solid mounting and eliminates side to side movement of the rack.
Its David Carroll aka "Mr 510"
1artworkz: (2015-01-19 23:37:23)
Its David Carroll aka "Mr 510"
dave@vg30.com
300zxturboftw: (2015-01-20 22:59:33)
Nice, just contacted him. Good update.
youngfg: (2015-01-22 02:34:38)
Here is how I do it on my race cars.
Just a small L shaped bracket that welds to the bushing bracket an connects to the rack via the power steering fitting.
This setup has worked for many 7 plus hour long races.
Attached Files
150121_0001.jpg (87.4 KB)
300zxturboftw: (2015-01-27 22:41:04)
Has anyone been in contact with Dave? I don't have facebook…tried emailing at dave@vg30 and info@vg30. Will anyone FB message him for me? lol
adamvann3: (2015-01-28 03:32:21)
Talk to 88turbozx. He was prototyping a promising set of solid steering rack bushings.
I was lucky enough to stumble on a set of Gary's poly rack bushings. Coming from busted OEM, these are amazing!
G-E: (2015-01-28 04:43:31)
Those delrin ones might have a problem… I'll wait for conclusive evidence
300zxturboftw: (2015-01-28 05:31:19)
Ah, thanks for the responses. I'm in no hurry until track season this summer. Definitely have some play in my rack though. [archived image: tongue.png]
1artworkz: (2015-01-28 06:53:58)
This spring's redesigned rack bushings (SRB) will have the driver's side be the hardness of Delrin.
jaqattack02: (2015-01-28 14:06:55)
Those delrin ones might have a problem… I'll wait for conclusive evidence
Care to post more details? I haven't had any issues with mine so far.
Also, this is the first I've heard of it. There haven't been any complaints in his Sale thread on Facebook.
Axel kain: (2015-01-28 14:24:22)
Without relevant information to support this claim, your pointless post, was pointless.
Mr.510: (2015-01-29 08:41:13)
So here's an update on my Passenger's Side Solid Steering Rack Mounts: I've got one customer whose rack is apparently moving in the Delrin mount. He's running 265/35/18 Toyo Proxy R1R front tires and is running a power rack with no pump. These mounts are in about 20 other Z31s at this point and my original S12 version is in about 50 cars without a single issue. The rack in my S12 hasn't moved at all in 3+ years of hard use on sticky tires. For reference, the Z31 rack is 1mm smaller diameter than an S12 rack but the mounts are made from the same material with the same amount of 'crush' when the bolts are fully tight.
Also at issue is the fact that there were apparently two widths of Z31 rack mounting straps even though Nissan says they were all the same. My solid mounts are made for the wider brackets that apparently came on the earlier cars. (I don't know when they changed.) The guy with the slipping rack says he has the wide mounting strap that fits properly in the bushing. From reading above that the poly mounts have to be glued to the rack to keep it from slipping perhaps we'll just need to do the same with solid plastic mounts if they slip.
I do intend to produce driver's side Delrin rack mounts at some point but people with S12s have been running these on the passenger's side only for nearly 10 years (someone else produced them long ago, but stole a bunch of people's money and vanished) and there are no complaints on the S12 forum. Actually everybody that has one, mine or the original guy's, raves about it.
So that's where things are at. I have the mounts in stock if anybody wants to buy one. They're $30 plus $7 shipping in the USA. I ship worldwide at additional expense.
I am behind on answering both PMs and emails right now, sorry! The best way to reach me is to email david@vg30.com
Axel kain: (2015-01-29 14:06:51)
Really I see the drivers side being the more likely to hold the strongest in any situation. As well as, it makes more sense for both to be the same material to compliment each other!
jaqattack02: (2015-01-29 15:57:32)
I'll keep an eye on mine and update if I see any issues. But it's been great so far. I've been dealing with a rack that moves around since I got the car and this is the first time it's been in there solid in more than a year.
Z_Karma: (2015-01-29 18:14:10)
Maybe someone can try shimming them like i did here:
http://z31performance.com/showthread…all-experience
Unfortunately, road testing won't happen anytime soon as i fidget on my SS rebuild.
88Turbozx: (2015-02-05 08:57:47)
The delrin bushing wasn't the cause of my slippage issue. The driver's side should be doing most of the grabbing since it has those raised sections on the sides of the bushing. I'm throwing in a new powersteering system, since a powerless rack is putting way too much force on the rack+bushings, as well as other components that weren't designed for that amount of force. I'm also having a welder friend make me a really wide bracket for the driver's side, which should brace itself against the raised sides where the bushing fits into. This will eliminate any side to side movement, and the delrin bushing will stay on the passenger's side. I'll see if I can get a picture of the bracket once it is made.
NissanEgg: (2015-02-05 17:48:20)
The delrin bushing wasn't the cause of my slippage issue. The driver's side should be doing most of the grabbing since it has those raised sections on the sides of the bushing. I'm throwing in a new powersteering system, since a powerless rack is putting way too much force on the rack+bushings, as well as other components that weren't designed for that amount of force. I'm also having a welder friend make me a really wide bracket for the driver's side, which should brace itself against the raised sides where the bushing fits into. This will eliminate any side to side movement, and the delrin bushing will stay on the passenger's side. I'll see if I can get a picture of the bracket once it is made.
The amount of force applied to the bushings is the same whether you have power steering or manual steering. The only difference is the force applied at the steering wheel, which has nothing to do with force acting on the bushings.
Axel kain: (2015-02-05 21:13:57)
^ This. forces on the rack, suspension, and tires is the same, powered or not. more likely worse when powered, as the advantage of the assist will apply greater force - more quickly, than if without.
Z_Karma: (2015-02-05 23:13:15)
That strain on that crappy steering linkage U-joint that gets baked by the exhaust will be increased
with a manual rack.